According to police, a lone attacker approached the soldiers—both from the West Virginia National Guard—near Farragut Square around 2:15 p.m. before opening fire. Other National Guard personnel stationed nearby heard the gunshots and quickly subdued the shooter.
President Donald Trump, speaking from Florida, said the alleged gunman was an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in September 2021. He vowed that his administration would ensure the perpetrator “pays the steepest possible price for an act of evil, hatred and terror.”
The Department of Homeland Security later identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakamal, describing him as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan.” His exact immigration status remains unclear.
Tens of thousands of Afghans entered the U.S. under special protections following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under President Joe Biden. Trump said the government would now review every Afghan who entered the U.S. during that period.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the suspension of all Afghan immigration processing pending a reassessment of vetting procedures.
Joint Task Force DC said the shooting occurred near the busy 17th and I Street corridor, an area often crowded with office workers. The two soldiers were conducting high-visibility patrols in the area.
FBI Director Kash Patel, whose agency is leading the investigation, condemned the incident as “a brazen and horrendous act of violence.” Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the soldiers were ambushed.
Carroll added that National Guard members nearby intervened and restrained the wounded attacker until law enforcement arrived. According to law enforcement sources, the suspect was shot four times.
Authorities have not yet determined the weapon used or the motive behind the attack. The suspect has reportedly refused to cooperate with investigators.
President Trump, reacting via Truth Social, praised the National Guard and vowed harsh consequences for the shooter. “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen… will pay a very steep price,” he wrote.
Witnesses described panic in the area, with people running for cover after hearing multiple gunshots.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president had directed the deployment of 500 additional National Guard members to Washington, D.C. Nearly 2,200 Guard troops from several states are currently stationed in the capital to support security operations.
